Been to any of these exotic spots

[killarney_sailor]

Just looking for information to plan the next step of our cruise starting in April and have a bunch of questions that people might be able to help with:
We will be leaving from Brisbane in April some time and want to be in Durban, South Africa in Novemberish. We plan to go to Darwin and do the rally that goes to Bali before going the standard route to Christmas I, Cocos-Keeling, maybe Chagos, Rodriquez, Mauritius, Reunion and maybe Richards Bay. Obviously if we spend more time in one place we have less for another, so trying to get a sense of which places are best for longer stops.

Questions:

1. How long (and how far) should we spend in Indonesia?
2. North or south side of Java?
3. We have been told that Chagos is wonderful; is it worth going out of our way a bit?
4. Which of the stops through the Indian Ocean are worth a longer stop and which are best for a few days for provisioning and rest?
5. Is Richards Bay worth a stop or should we head directly to Durban?

That will do for now, might have further questions later. I also will be posting to SSCA.

Thanks

[aeventyr60]

Indonesia is a great spot with many different cultures. Spend as long as your visa ( 60 days) will permit. Check out the Komodo dragons for sure. Good diving here as well for large manta rays. Lombok and Bali for sure. One of the highlights for us was sailing up to Indonesian Borneo up the Kumai river and traveling by small boat up to Camp Leakey the Oranagutuan rehabilitation center deep in the rainforest. North side of Java will be better for wind and more anchorage choices. That's a lot of miles to cover in a short time and you will be missing great cruising in Malaysia and Thailand. Why not slow down a bit? Lot's of good stories about Chagos, hardest part is dealing with the British bueracracy in getting your permit....I think they only allow 1 month. Our friends now in richards Bay. They loved madagascar, and then made landfall in Mozambique before sailing on to richards bay. Think you will have a tougher sail trying to get directly to Durban. Not a whole lot of places to stop mid Mid Indian Ocean. most are stopping in maldives, Chagos, Mauritus, Madagascar then on to either Mozambique or Richards Bay.

[tdw]

Originally Posted by aeventyr60

snip That's a lot of miles to cover in a short time and you will be missing great cruising in Malaysia and Thailand. Why not slow down a bit? snip

AE,
Lets say you stay longer in Indonesia/Malaysia maybe even Thailand ..... that will entail at least one cyclone season ... where would you hold up during the season ?

Cheers

Andrew

[aeventyr60]

No cyclones in malaysia/Thailand. There is a change in the Monsoon/rainy season. Usually folks spend say December to april/may in the West/NW..Langkawi to Phuket..Andaman and the move to eastern malaysia and up to Borneo in May June and then up until October when the migration begins again. This year we are a bit late in heading North to Langkawi and the Monsoon is early and more rainy so it will be a wet trip next week...

[obelisk]

how is the piracy situation in indonesia/malasyia/thailand? the straits of malacca are a hotspot but how about the areas you just mentioned?

[tdw]

Originally Posted by obelisk

how is the piracy situation in indonesia/malasyia/thailand? the straits of malacca are a hotspot but how about the areas you just mentioned?

Its generally conceded these days that these waters are relatively free of piracy and that you are probably more in danger of being run down by a super tanker.

From Noonsite ...

It's not just in Somalian waters where long range cruisers must be concerned about piracy. Piracy has now become so rampant in Nigerian waters on the western coast of Africa that fishermen are not game to go fishing, and many have given up, saying that it is too dangerous to set out.

This will adversely affect cruisers who think to avoid the Somalian coastline by rounding Africa instead of taking the Red Sea route.

The International Marine Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre suggests that professional pirates have deserted Indonesian and Malaysian waters, which are heavily patrolled by a coalition of South East Asian States, for Africa, where the coastal waters are largely uncontrolled, and the pickings rich.

http://www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2008-06-05-3

That is from 2008 and as far as I have heard the situation has not changed though Aeventry is more knowledgeable than I am on this area. Reality is that even when piracy was a major problem in the Malaccan Straits it was more aimed at commercial shipping not yachts. There are no priacy reports for Indonesia/Malaysia/Thailand in current Noonsite priacy reports for 2011.

[aeventyr60]

Nothing happening here pirate wise, except the occasional white man trying to bleed the cruisers...mallaca straits pirate free for many, many years. too much container traffic in and out of Singapore for the authorities to put up with any non sense. Tankers are met by armed escort at the top of the straits anyway. I think there is the odd theft of an outboard in Phuket and some break ins out in Eastern borneo. Feel safer here then I would in the good ol us of a....

[killarney_sailor]

Aeventyr
A bit of info about crossing the Indian Ocean - hope to have a lot more before too long. Do you belong to SSCA? Their cruising station in person mentioned (with no details at all) stopping at Cargados Carajos Shoal which is one of the Mascarene Islands towards the north end of Madagascar. Looked at map and satellite image and it looks like an intricate atoll that is used by fishing boats as a shelter. He also mentioned stopping in Madagascar. I may email him with some questions.